JASON: Jason Lewis in, remembering Rush and his clarion call to establishment Republicans to get out of the way. Here’s what Rush had to say about that.
RUSH: This is Key in San Francisco. Thank you. It’s great to have you here. I love San Francisco. It’s great to hear from somebody from there. How are you?
CALLER: I’m doing great, Rush. Mega dittos and thank you for listening to me today. I firmly believe — and I’ve been listening to you since my college day when you were in Sacramento. I firmly believe conservatism — when articulated clearly and when practiced faithfully and without apology — wins every time.
So I am incensed when I look at the current political landscape, when I look at the establishment Republicans and I look at the opportunity that they are squandering. Because not since when Reagan got a chance to position conservatism against the failed liberal policies of Carter, have we ever been given an opportunity to so clearly position ourselves as conservatives and how different we are.
RUSH: Amen!
CALLER: You look across this country. You look at every major metropolitan area that has been controlled by Democrats and liberals for the last 50 years. You look at Detroit and every other area where you just have to show up and point fingers and show what liberalism unchecked can do.
Rush, I’m in my early 40s. I’ve got a seven-year-old; I’ve got a four-year-old. They can see conservatism flourish for the rest of their lifetimes if we don’t squander this opportunity. And you, sir, have always said, “Liberals will always show you what they’re afraid of.” When you look at Lois Lerner and IRS and all these scandals, who are they targeting?
It’s not the establishment Republicans. It’s conservatives, because they fear conservatism.
RUSH: This guy… You obviously have been listening to me since the Sacramento days, because there’s nothing wrong with what you said. You are absolutely right! But I want to ask you a question.
CALLER: Yes, sir?
RUSH: Why do you think the establishment Republicans don’t see it that way?
CALLER: Because I don’t think they care. You know, the difference is… Again, the first president that I, in my childhood, was aware of was Reagan, and one thing about Reagan was that you knew here’s a gentleman who believes — who not only believes in what he says, but cares about his country. He wants to put his country first. When I look at the landscape today, I see a bunch of career politicians who are more concerned about getting reelected, about staying in power, than putting the interests and the needs of their nation first.
RUSH: Now, wait. Wait, though. Wait a minute. Let me play devil’s advocate. You just said — and a lot of people agree with you — that this nation is hungering and thirsting for an alternative to be articulated well and reasonably and with good cheer, and that people are just dying to vote for it. So if that’s driving them, their effort to be re-elected, why don’t they do what you say they should do?
CALLER: Because I don’t believe they’re true conservatives. I don’t believe that they believe in conservatism.
RUSH: All right, and why not? I’m going to keep drilling down, because there are answers to all these questions I’m asking. Why not?
CALLER: Well, again, because they are listening to the media, the way that they’re being portrayed. As you said many times, they just want to be liked, and in their minds; they think if they just espouse conservatism, they won’t be liked. Somehow they have it in their minds that to retain power, to get reelected, they have to be liked.
RUSH: There is a specific answer to my question, and you’ve given part of it. But in the real world of politics, one of the reasons is — in addition to what you said — when they see conservatism, they see Barry Goldwater. They see a landslide defeat. They see a Republican Party in the wilderness for 40 years. They don’t see the beginning of a movement. They don’t see something that led to Ronald Reagan. They don’t see Reagan. They see Goldwater.
Their consultants see that.
They are not conservative, as you say. They have also, I think, as establishment types… How many times have you heard what you would think are conservative media say, “You know, the American people have made up their minds and they actually want a big, energetic government and president”? (“Executive,” they call him.) “They want this. We have got to adjust to the reality that the American people want a large, efficient, energetic government working for them.
“We have to convince them that we can do it better and smarter.” That’s the current mindset of Republican consultants, many in the so-called conservative media, who advise the Republicans that you are talking about. You throw that into the mix in addition to everything you said that they’re not really conservative. And there’s another big one, too. They don’t believe in smaller government.
Government is the answer to everything. Government is where they make their money. Government is where they have their contracts. Government is where they go to do lobbying work after they finish their work in office and really score, and without big government for lobbyists to massages and manipulate and earn big money, there could be no big financial opportunity!
“You’ve got to have a big government so that it can be massaged and managed and manipulated, scored money off of and so forth,” and that really is it. Follow the money and you’ll have the answers to many questions. At the root of it, they really aren’t conservative, but they’re not conservative because it embarrasses them. They think pro-life is a killing issue, for example. Social issues and everything. The things that they’ve won on are the things that they’re afraid of!
CALLER: I agree wholeheartedly, Rush, and you know, as a son of immigrants… My family immigrated here when I was a young child and I will tell you, though, that America — the America that conservatism stands for — is why people have immigrated to this country for so many years and still do. It is for what America, even to this day, still stands for. Nothing better epitomizes that America than conservatism.
RUSH: No question about it. There’s another thing, too. You and I look at what’s happening in the country and we see a crisis. We see a crisis that really threatens the existence of America as founded. The Republicans you’re talking about don’t see that. They don’t see a spending crisis. That’s not the problem. Have you ever seen them reduce spending?
CALLER: No.
RUSH: They don’t believe that’s a problem. They’ll tell you, “Look, man, the national debt’s been growing ever since I was a kid and we’re still here. There isn’t any problem. That’s an old shibboleth. It’s not going to kill us. It’s no big deal.” They just don’t see the world the same way that you do, and it’s a shame. But at the root of it, you’re right: They’re not conservative. We can get into the whys and wherefores of it — and that’s useful simply as an information or educational exercise — but that remains the fact.
In fact, not only are they not, they are wrong about it.
They have fears about it that are misconstrued.
If you associate… If all conservatism is to you is Barry Goldwater — and believe me, don’t discount that. That, to them, is what’s going to happen if we nominate a conservative. Why do you think they keep nominating moderate, Northeastern, liberal Republicans?
They really think conservatism equals landslide defeat. Why they don’t see Reagan is probably rooted in the fact that they don’t want to admit that they were wrong, and they really don’t want to get into the argument of smaller government. Because they really, really don’t want to do the work necessary to make that happen.
JASON: We’ll have your calls here coming up next segment. I’m trying to get to 1-800-282-2882 for your calls. I’m Jason Lewis. I’m remembering Rush. Let me just add on real quick here and then we’ll go to the next break here, Crash, and that is Rush could not be more correct about this.
There are two forces as to why the swamp always wins (chuckling), and I’m speaking as a former member of Congress here. One is the forces of globalism, the corporate state, you name it. Liberals who believe in globalism, don’t believe in American sovereignty, open borders, free trade without any — any! — concern over American sovereignty, American jobs, and our national defense and the hollowing out of America.
That is the group that pressures Republicans, and therefore too many Republicans don’t want to take the path of most resistance. They want the path of least resistance. When you bring it up in the halls of Washington and say, “We’ve got to do something, otherwise why are we getting elected?” They will tell you each and every time, “Well, you can’t do anything if you don’t get elected. Take a poll.”